


It's always been you

by DerpyDots



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Engagement, Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Nct life, Non-Idol AU, Past Relationship(s), Romance, Travel, couples retreat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 10:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12079554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpyDots/pseuds/DerpyDots
Summary: A couples' retreat sounded like a good idea. Time spent together with your close friends in an exotic resort in Chiang Mai might be enough to turn the love flame back on. But how did Taeyong ended up going by himself? Maybe running into his college years' crush so far away from home is a sign. Or...that's what Johnny said.[Based on NCT Life in Chiang Mai]





	It's always been you

**Author's Note:**

> This has been living in my Drive for...so long that I can't even remember! I started it when the pictures of the boys riding the elephants first came out, even before the actual season even aired. And I have been loving Taeyong and Taeil together for quite some time <3
> 
> I liked the idea of running into a past special someone from that scene in Sex and The City 2, then my mind went wild!
> 
> This is also my first time posting something NCT related so I hope you like it! <3
> 
> Song recommendation: [Come stay the night playlist by danielions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_dGBTSyKiE&t=97s)
> 
> Disclaimer: I use "Jaehyun" instead of Yoonoh because it's easier that way [andbecauseIpictureTVXQ'sYunHowhenIusehisrealname]

* * *

 

The Sun was barely up and people were already rushing all over the airport, their suitcases trailing behind them. Businessmen zoomed past with their phones pressed against their ears, tourists asked for directions everywhere, and families carried sleeping toddlers in search for the correct gate. Taeyong was glad that they arrived with plenty of time to spare, having already checked in at the front desk everything they had to do now was wait for their flight. Doyoung was checking their travel schedule for the nth time since they first booked it, not minding the sleeping Jaehyun that was using his shoulder as a pillow. Ten had dragged Johnny towards Starbucks to get something to eat, he always got moody when he was hungry; that left Taeyong and…

 

“Just Taeyong, no plus one.” Taeyong muttered to himself, pulling down the handle of his suitcase only to lift it up once again.

 

The reason why they were all at the airport was the couples’ getaway in Thailand they had booked. It had all started with Johnny sending them the screenshot of a traveling agency’s site that offered a special vacation package for young couples.

 

It was as if that advert was made specially for them, Doyoung and Jaehyun had been wanting to have the honeymoon they postponed after they got married. “We have enough money for it now, and I can ask for vacation days at the school!” Jaehyun, who was still hesitant about it, felt himself cave in once his husband looked at him with his big doe eyes. The only ones left to convince were Taeyong and Yuta, who had been going through a rough patch in their relationship. 

 

“Just think about it, man! An exotic place will help the two of you get the love flame back on!” Ten had given Johnny the task of convincing Taeyong, that’s why the two of them were sitting at a table outside of a convenience store eating instant ramyun. “And we will all be going together! What could go wrong?” 

 

Taeyong agreed in the end and they all went to the agency to close the deal. “How did you get Yuta to agree?” Doyoung asked him once they went to eat afterwards. “I haven’t told him yet.” Taeyong said in a cheerful tone, grilling more meat for the group. The two couples turned to look at him, their eyes wide with curiosity. “I’m planning on surprising him!” Taeyong seemed pretty content with his own idea, having prepared all of it already. “Besides…what could go wrong?” 

 

“I can’t do this anymore.” Were Yuta’s first words when Taeyong walked into their shared apartment to find out his boyfriend had packed up all his belongings. Yuta didn’t even let him ask for explanations, he just took his suitcase with him and gave him his key. “I know we’ve been trying to work things out, but…” The Japanese man looked down, knuckles turning white from how hard he gripped the handle of his suitcase. “There is someone else…” Taeyong felt as a bucket of ice water had been dropped on top of his head, the only thing he felt was Yuta brushing past him to get to the front door. “I’m so sorry.” And with that, he left.

 

“Taeyong…Taeyong…Lee Taeyong!” 

 

Said man almost jumped out of his own skin, clutching at his chest as he looked at the culprit of his early heart-attack. “Don’t look at me like that, I even got you a muffin.” Ten handed him the pastry before plopping down in the seat next to him. “I told Johnny that sugar will be enough to stop you from moping around.” Taeyong smiled at his friend, thanking him before he began to eat. Ten might be a brat most of the time, but he cared for his friends and looked out for them in his own special way. The two of them chatted for a bit until they heard the boarding call for their flight and Ten practically dashed towards the gate. Taeyong figured that his friend was the most excited out of all of them since he got to visit his motherland after quite some time, and it showed on the way he urged his boyfriend to  _ hurry the hell up _ and get on the plane.  

 

He knew that his friends worried about him, he knew from the moment he called them once Yuta left that day. Taeyong hoped he wouldn’t become a nuisance for his friends, they were traveling to relax and enjoy each other’s company, even if it was a couples’ retreat he will try to enjoy it as much as possible. 

 

\--

 

“They told me they had changed it! I called to make sure they did!” Doyoung whined once they got off the golf cart that had carried the five of them from the hotel’s entrance until their private villa, a ‘Welcome Mr. Seo & Mr. Leechaiyapornkul, Mr. Jung & Mr. Kim, Mr. Lee & Mr. Nakamoto!’ banner being the first thing they see as soon as they walk into the villa. 

 

“It’s no big deal. Really.” All pairs of eyes turned towards Taeyong, making him feel somewhat anxious. In the end, Johnny and Jaehyun took off the banner and put it away on one of the closets before they even chose their bedrooms. 

 

The villa was nothing short of luxurious, it wasn’t really big but it had three bedrooms -each with their private bathroom- a common living room annexed to a kitchenette, and a private garden with a pool. Each bedroom had its own different style, one was decorated with different shades of green and a fresh vibe all over it; the second room was more on the minimalistic side, white being the main color with a dash of yellow here and there; the last bedroom was the biggest out of the three and it was decorated with mahogany furniture and rich maroon shades all over it. “I call dibs!” Ten announced before running towards the king-sized bed, landing unceremoniously on the soft mattress. “What?” the Thai man looked at his friends with wide eyes. Johnny sighed and shook his head, probably wondering what he had done to have a man child as his boyfriend.

 

Doyoung and Jaehyun got the green room, the former squealing in delight once they found out their bathroom had a hydro-massage tub alongside of the rain showerhead. “Told you it was best to wait until we saw them all.” Johnny whined at his boyfriend before leaving the couple to unpack. “How was I supposed to know?!” Ten huffed, taking one of the mangoes in the fruit bowl that was in his friends’ room. 

 

Taeyong unpacked in the minimalistic room, happy that it was closer to his style than the other two were. He sat on the bed once he finished unpacking, giving himself time to look around his room. He opened the double doors that led to the bathroom and stepped in. There were complimentary toiletries provided by the resort, shampoo and conditioner, soap, and…two toothbrushes. Taeyong sighed before stepping out of the bathroom. He had to get over it and he hoped that this trip will make it easier. 

 

\--

 

The first night they arranged to have a mini barbeque party on their garden, probably ending with all of them being pushed inside of the pool by each other. “Okay we are going to the supermarket.” Doyoung announced as he and Ten opened the front door, waving goodbye to the rest of the group. “Try not to kill each other.” Johnny mumbled as he flipped the pages on a tourism magazine, Jaehyun snickered from the kitchenette. “I bet you they won’t even make it to the mart without already arguing about something.” Taeyong pitched in from where he was setting the grill on the garden. 

 

Doyoung and Ten couldn’t coexist in one room without bickering about the most mundane of things, much to the excitement of the other three, but they knew that was the way those two cared about each other. 

 

Taeyong and Jaehyun set up the barbeque in no time, rolling their eyes as Johnny said it was all thanks to his superb supervising. The Sun was barely beginning to set when Ten and Doyoung came back with several plastic bags, leaving them for Johnny to put everything away. 

 

The night was unsurprisingly warm; they were in Thailand after all; but the air cooled down as the Sun disappeared on the horizon and they were left with only the warmth emanating from the grill. The five of them sat down on the lawn chairs scattered alongside of the pool, watching as the stars appeared on the night sky. “If I didn’t know better I would swear all of those were helicopters.” Jaehyun broke the comfortable silence that embraced them, earning himself the honor of being the first one to be pushed into the pool. Doyoung followed soon after, falling into Jaehyun’s trick of asking for help to get out of the pool. “Jung Jaehyun! That was low” The orange haired male splashed water at his husband, giggling as the younger whined through his nose.  

 

“Do you have your phone on you?” Ten asked his boyfriend, grinning once the tallest of them all shook his head ‘no’. Johnny wasn’t quick enough to catch the mischievous glint on Ten’s eyes, falling into the water before he could even protest. Taeyong didn’t how Ten, with his skinny frame, was able to push Johnny all by himself. “TY track, come on!” The Thai man called him out before cannon balling into the water, successfully splashing his friend. 

 

They all ended up swimming in the pool with their regular clothes on, splashing around as if they were kids again. The night became deeper the more they enjoyed their time in the pool, and it wasn’t long before they came out of the water, laying out their soaking clothes to dry overnight. 

 

Everyone went to their respective rooms, bidding each other a goodnight and, before they knew it, the villa became silent as all of them got ready for bed. 

 

Taeyong turned on his bed for the nth time, his eyes wide open no matter how hard he tried to convince his brain to shut off and sleep. The calmness that surrounded his room was deafening and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander off to the times in which Yuta would make him company when his insomnia kicked in. He grabbed one of the many pillows laying around in the massive bed, pressing it on his face to try and silence his thoughts. 

 

He ended up getting out of bed and into the common room, hoping to pour himself a glass of water and step outside into the garden. However, he didn’t expect for the kitchenette light to be on. Taeyong knocked on the wooden counter, making his presence known to the other person, who jumped in fright. “Oh my God! Lee Taeyong you almost caused me a heart attack!” Doyoung visibly relaxed once he looked over his shoulder and found his friend leaning on the counter, cursing him under his breath as he saw Taeyong muffling his laugh with his hand. 

 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Doyoung shook his head, giving Taeyong one of the glasses from the cupboards so he could help himself to some water. “I assume you had the same problem.” The orange haired male smiled, caressing the side of his mug with his thumb. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping for a few weeks now, I thought it will be gone once we got here.” Taeyong and Doyoung were the ones whose sleep schedule would get affected most of time and it was one of the reasons why they sympathized with each other. It wasn’t uncommon for them to share tips of how to deal with insomnia. 

 

The two of them stayed there on the kitchenette, sipping on their drinks without talking. “You know…” Doyoung began, cutting himself off before taking his empty mug to the sink to wash it. Taeyong followed his friend’s actions hoping he would finish his sentence. “Forget it, it might be the jet lag screwing with my head.” The orange haired male dismissed whatever he had intended to say, stretching his arms over his head before yawning. “I guess I’ll try to sleep one more time.” He bid his friend goodnight, leaving him sitting on the table. 

 

It wasn’t long before Taeyong felt his eyelids closing by themselves, prompting his tired body towards his room. He let himself under the covers, sighing as he hugged the plush pillows. It was at times like this when he missed Yuta the most, when he felt as if the massive bed swallowed him whole on its splendidness. He didn’t know when he fell into a restless sleep, his arms reaching towards the empty side of the bed in hopes of finding a warm body next to his. 

 

\--

 

“I don’t understand how can you be so fresh in the mornings.” Ten complained from where he sat with his head laying on the table, eyes barely open as they followed Doyoung while he moved around the kitchenette. Doyoung had always been the early riser amongst their group, followed by Taeyong and Jaehyun (he acquired the habit ever since he and Doyoung started dating), but Ten and Johnny liked to sleep for as long as possible. 

 

The clock had barely ticked past 7AM when Doyoung was already knocking on their doors for them to wake up insisting they all sat together for breakfast. It was a nice thought and it would make their first full day in Thailand even better, if only breakfast was already done by the time they sat on the table. “The coffee is already done and it will only be five minutes!” Doyoung had answered when Ten was about to rant demanding an explanation of why he woke them up only for them to fall asleep on the table. 

 

It did take around five minutes for breakfast to be done, the plates already set by Taeyong and served by Jaehyun. The five of them sat together to eat, silently at first but slowly growing into their usual enthusiastic chatting, without leaving Doyoung and Ten’s bickering towards each other. 

 

“What are we doing today?” Jaehyun asked his husband, who kept track of their itinerary. Doyoung hummed as he tried to remember their exact plans for the first day, snapping his fingers once he did. “We are visiting one of the temples first, a bus will be waiting at the lobby to take us there.” Ten felt the excitement bubbling up in his body and it was evident as he stepped in when Johnny asked for the name of the temple. His friends listened to him with close attention, knowing how important and meaningful it was for him.  

 

Once they finished breakfast, they all went to their rooms to get ready for the day. It was probably due to the excitement but even the usual sloths were all dolled up in no time. “You seem happier.” Johnny voiced out as he looked at Ten getting ready in front of the mirror, his eyes taking in the ethereal beauty radiating from his boyfriend. 

 

Johnny and Ten didn’t have the best of starts in their relationship, or even their friendship. It was understatement that they hated each other’s guts from the very first time they met, but it was even more surprising when they announced they were dating. No one in their group of friends expected it but they weren’t complaining either. Soon it became a common occurrence to see their two foreign friends holding hands as they smiled sweetly at each other. 

 

“I am happy.” The younger of the two said, looking at his boyfriend through the mirror. The Thai man turned around, smile widening as he walked closer to his partner, his arms circling Johnny’s neck. “I’m in my homeland with the man I love. I think that is more than enough for me to be happy.” Johnny’s hands grabbed onto his boyfriend’s narrow hips, thumbs circling the fabric that covered Ten’s hipbone. Johnny licked at his lower lip once he saw his boyfriend dipping in for a kiss, groaning as someone knocked on their door and told them to hurry up. 

 

Johnny might be older than Ten, but he still managed to look like an overgrown baby as he hid his face on Ten’s tummy. “You’ll get your kisses once we get back. Come on.” Ten tried to push Johnny by the shoulders, giggling once the older tightened his hold on him. “If you let me go now I’ll make it up to you real good tonight.” Ten sensually whispered against his boyfriend’s ear, teeth pulling at Johnny’s earring for a split second before he was being pulled out of the room by said male. “We are ready!” Johnny loudly announced, followed by Ten’s booming laughter. 

 

\--

 

They all made their way to the lobby, smiles ever present on their faces as they were unable to contain their excitement. There were other couples waiting in the lobby as well, probably coming from the same package as them. 

 

It didn’t take long for the bus to arrive and a tour guide to hop out of the vehicle. The lady introduced herself before telling them that she will call their names in order for them to get in the bus. Doyoung widened his eyes at that and, as he turned to lock eyes with Jaehyun, he figured that his husband had the same thought in mind. However, there was nothing they could do since the tour guide began reciting the names, checking each of them on her list as they stepped in. 

 

“You think she’ll say his name? I don’t think they managed to change it completely, you saw what happened when we arrived!” Doyoung couldn’t keep still on his seat, neck craning up as he tried to listen to the names the guide said out loud. Taeyong climbed once he was named and, thankfully, Yuta’s name was not mentioned. “Stop worrying about it. It doesn’t bother me.” Taeyong said once he took a seat in front of his friends, a warm smile drawn on his lips. “We are here to have fun!” 

 

Taeyong knew his friends cared about him, that’s why they wanted to make sure nothing on this reminded him of Yuta and he couldn’t put into words how grateful he felt. But the trip was for all of them to enjoy. 

 

It took the bus around 20 minutes to get to the temple but the time slipped through their fingers once the guide began a series of ice breakers for all the couples, and Taeyong, to mingle. After all, they were set to share the same schedules during their holiday. 

 

They got off the bus and into the temple, receiving a yellow flower from the tour guide. “To offer once we get to the main temple.” Ten told them once he caught his friends’ confused faces. The way to the temple was particularly hard, but the blazing Sun wasn’t exactly helping. 

 

“I should have brought a hat.” Doyoung pouted as he used his hand to cover a bit of his face, his ears had already turned red and he didn’t wish to look like a shrimp on the first day. He slightly envied Ten, whose skin turned a beautiful shade of gold once he spent time under the Sun. “Don’t worry, I think you look cute when your cheeks get red.” Jaehyun’s compliment made his whole face feel as if it was on fire. “Shut up. You’re gross…” Doyoung shoved his husband’s shoulder, a shy smile appearing on his lips as his pinky finger brushed against Jaehyun’s. 

 

“Gross.” Ten grimaced at his friends’ kiddie-level PDA, earning himself his boyfriend’s laugh. “They have been married for a couple of years now and they still act as if they are playground sweethearts.” Johnny couldn’t help but eyeroll as his boyfriend kept on blabbering, he would have already dipped down and kiss the shorter male to shut him up but they had to be respectful. “And here I was thinking of turning on ‘Sweet Johnny’ when we went to the mall. You know Sweet Johnny likes to spoil his boyfriend rotten.” The taller male purposely walked ahead of his boyfriend, trying hard to contain his laughter once he heard Ten whinnying and pulling on the back of his shirt. 

 

Taeyong walked behind all his friends, snickering and shaking his head at their ridiculous antics. It was all too familiar to him; his friends had been the same ever since they met. Now that they liked to pretend they were responsible adults with serious relationships and real jobs, their inner children came out when they were together. He hoped it would stay like that for as long as possible. 

 

Their group reached the main part of the temple, where the offerings were to be left after they all said a short prayer. Taeyong couldn’t help but stare in awe at his surroundings, his eyes not enough to take in how beautiful the temple was. He winced when the rays of the Sun reflected on the temple’s golden walls, blinding him for an instant before he covered his eyes. He walked towards the shade, bumping into someone by accident.

 

“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t-” Taeyong cut himself short once he saw who he had ran into. He felt his eyes go wide and all his vocabulary evaporize in a matter of seconds. “Taeil…” Taeyong hadn’t said that name in so long, but he could never forget how it made the corners of his mouth quirk up. 

 

“And here I thought the Sun must have been screwing with my head. It is really you.” Taeil whispered in return, his dumbfounded smile giving away how surprised he really was. “Lee Taeyong.” If it wasn’t because Taeyong knew how reluctant Taeil was on skinship, he would be hugging the other male by now. Gladly, he knew better.

 

Neither of the two knew how to react or what to say. It had been years since they last saw each other. Moon Taeil was the TA in one of Taeyong’s classes back in college, always sitting behind the teacher’s computer with his messy hair and thin-rimmed glasses.Taeil was the embodiment of seriousness, at least he seemed like it. He would always come in the classroom before the teacher, eyes never looking up and around the faces of the students. However, it happened on one particular spring day. Taeil looked up as the teacher went on and on with the lecture, and his eyes locked in with Taeyong’s, successfully stealing the student’s attention. Taeyong didn’t get to finish taking notes that day.

 

Taeil wouldn’t fit on what most people call “attractive”. He wasn’t tall, his hair was still growing out from the chopped look he sported at the beginning of the semester; but Taeyong still found himself being drawn to the young TA. Taeil had a mysterious air surround him all the time, maybe it was because he left the classroom once the teacher dismissed the students and Taeyong never saw him around campus. 

 

It wasn’t until one evening when Taeyong was walking home from campus that he saw him in the outside world. He walked into a small book cafe that Doyoung introduced to him, the cool air from the AC being a great contrast from the humid weather outside. The place was more crowded than usual, probably the sign that read “Open mic tonight!” had something to do with it. Taeyong wasn’t in a hurry, he could spare some time to enjoy his coffee as he listened to indie singers strum their vintage guitars and fill the building with their soft voices.

 

Taeyong had barely taken a seat when the next performer was announced, a singer by the name of Moon Taeil. It was safe to say that Taeyong’s eye went wide with surprise as he saw the singer go onstage. But, as Taeil began to sing, Taeyong was rendered speechless. He stayed until Taeil performed one last song, walking closer to the other man without really thinking what to say. 

 

“Lee Taeyong? What are you doing here?” Taeyong’s brain short circuited when he heard his name being said by the young TA, his mouth opening and closing without any sound coming out of it. “You...you know my name?” Taeil arched one of his brows, a confused expression on his face. “I have to, you know? Learning the names of the students is part of my job.” Taeyong mouthed an ‘oh’ before clearing his throat, his hand already on his way towards his mouth so he could nibble on his nails. 

 

“You should stop doing that.” Taeil grabbed him by the wrist, bringing his hand down before letting it go. “It’s not good for you.” Taeyong felt the whole world stop the second he saw the TA smile. Taeil stared right into the student’s eyes before he laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. “I have to go, but I guess I’ll see you in class.” Taeil didn’t wait for an answer, bowing his head goodbye and making his way towards the door. “Oh! Almost forgot…” He turned towards Taeyong again, a teasing smile accompanying the cheekiness of his voice. “I sing here every Thursday, if you want to come by again.” Taeyong found himself nodding, his lips still glued shut. “It was nice seeing you.” And with that, Taeil left Taeyong staring after him, even when he had left the building already.

 

Taeyong did go to see Taeil sing the next Thursday, this time he even got to say a few sentences! The two of them sat down on one of the old wooden tables as they sipped on iced americanos. Taeyong wouldn’t have guessed Taeil shared similar tastes with him. They enjoyed watching old historical dramas without anyone knowing, reading thriller novels before watching the movie. “I know it would never be as good as the book but I just can’t stop myself from doing it!” Taeil had said as he hung his head low, almost bumping his forehead on the table, and Taeyong couldn’t help but laugh as he pleaded guilty of the same thing.

 

The serious image he had of TA Moon Taeil soon got replaced by the awkward, yet funny, image of indie singer Moon Taeil and Taeyong couldn’t be more pleased. 

 

However, they kept their distance inside the classroom, Taeil had power on Taeyong’s grades after all and neither of the two wished for the rest of the students, and teacher, to think  their friendship was beneficial for Taeyong’s grades. 

 

What Taeyong and Taeil had was a relationship completely platonic, innocent even. They were just two friends who liked to hang out together and talk about their ‘shitty taste’, as their friends put it. Besides, Taeyong had someone. 

 

Taeyong had been dating Nakamoto Yuta for a while. The two of them were almost inseparable when their respective majors allowed them to. Taeyong loved his boyfriend, he was certain of it, but he had began to feel a different kind of affection towards his TA. He didn’t know when it all started, his heart would just beat harder every time he came into the coffee shop to watch Taeil sing. It didn’t help that Taeil always smiled at him when he greeted Taeyong, making the younger man get all flustered. 

 

One thing Taeyong excelled at was pushing his feelings at the very back, so that is exactly what he did. It seemed to work, he acted like his usual self when he was with Taeil, even if his ribcage ached from how hard his heart pounded into it.

 

“I have to tell you something.” Taeil started one day, setting his hot americano on the table. The weather had begun to run cold as autumn made its entrance, forcing the two friends to switch from iced beverages to hot ones. Taeyong nodded to signal he was listening, pressing the rim of his cup to his lip before drinking. Taeil stayed quiet for a bit, his lips pressed into a thin line and his hands playing with a balled up napkin. “What is it?”

 

“I’m moving to Hong Kong.”

 

Taeyong felt as if everything around them had stopped once the words left Taeil’s lips. He knew his eyes had gone wide and he tried to hide how badly his hands began to shake. Taeyong looked down for an instant, feeling as if the walls he had built around his feelings would crumble down if he stared at the other man. “Why?” His voice came out croaked, having to clear his throat before asking again. 

 

“The University submitted my resumé to the grad program and I got  accepted.” Taeil sounded genuinely excited, he could barely contain  the huge smile from invading his whole face. “They want me join their Hong Kong branch. They offered me full accommodation if I accepted to move to Hong Kong.” Taeyong sipped on his coffee, throat feeling drier by the second. “I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.” 

 

“What?!” Taeyong lost his composure for a split second, feeling his cheeks blush as a few customers turned to look at them. “Why so soon?” His voice sounded so fragile even to his own ears, almost foreign. Taeil sighed, an air of melancholy surrounding him all of a sudden. “The program is set to begin at the end of autumn, and they said it was best for me to leave as soon as possible. You know, to get used to the country and what not…” It made sense, but it still made Taeyong’s stomach twist. 

 

Taeil had been wanting to enter that program, he wouldn’t be working as a TA if it wasn’t for the extra merit it added to his resumé. It would bring him a step closer to getting a full scholarship for his master’s degree. However, a small part of Taeyong wished he wouldn’t go, it was the same part of him that knew his feelings for Taeil weren’t just friendly ones. 

 

“I love you.” Taeyong didn’t process what had just came out of his mouth until he saw Taeil’s eyes widening. He felt the tips of his ears burning and his eyes filling up with tears. “I...I…” Words weren’t cooperating with Taeyong, leaving him as a blabbering mess. “I know.” Taeyong looked up and into Taeil’s eyes, the older man’s hand taking his. Taeyong saw a glint of sadness flash across Taeil’s warm eyes, feeling as the TA clutched his hand before standing up. “I feel the same way.”

 

Taeil left after that, patting Taeyong’s shoulder before making his way to the door. 

 

\--

 

“I still can’t believe we bumped into each other here!” The two of them sat down on a bench outside of the temple, shielding themselves from the scorching Sun. “How long has it been?” Taeil’s face showed how surprised he was, Taeyong couldn’t get himself to look away. “Four years.” Taeyong felt the tips of his ears heat up by how fast he answered, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “...more or less…” 

 

Taeil chuckled before letting himself look at the younger man, soft smile appearing on his lips. “You haven’t changed one bit.” It was Taeyong’s turn to smile, hands gripping the edge of the bench. “I could say the same thing about you, hyung.” Both males basked in the company of the other, letting the warm breeze ruffle their hair. “There’s one thing I wante-” 

 

Taeyong’s phone buzzed in his pocket, successfully interrupting him. He looked at the Caller ID, instantly rolling his eyes. “I have to answer…” Taeil shook his hands, urging him to answer. 

 

“What is it?” “WHERE ARE YOU?!” Doyoung’s voice almost caused him an early deafness, making him wince. “I’m outside the temple, in a bench.” Taeyong turned to look at Taeil, catching the older man looking at him, both of them smiling shyly afterwards. “I ran into someone.” Doyoung began firing question after question. “Calm down! I’ll meet you at the bus, okay?” He hung up the call without waiting for his friend’s answer, pocketing his phone as he sighed in exasperation. 

 

“I’m sure, whoever that was, is looking for you.” Taeil’s voice could easily pass as nonchalant, but his face showed a clear sign of hesitance as he spoke. “I came here by myself...just with my friends.” Taeyong didn’t know why he felt the need to explain this, but he was glad he did when he saw Taeil smiling again. 

 

They chatted for a bit more before Taeyong had to leave to catch their group. It was obvious neither of them wanted to part, bringing anything up just to prolong their time together. “You know…” Taeyong spoke without really thinking, feeling his heart beat faster to what he was about to say. “We are staying at a resort that has the best...something.” Taeil smiled at the younger’s blushing face but still let him continue. “What I’m trying to say is...I would like you to have dinner with us…” The oldest of the two raised both his eyebrows, smiling knowingly and urging Taeyong to say the truth. “With me.”

 

Taeil put on a show of thinking about it, laughing once he saw a glimpse of anxiety flash across Taeyong’s eyes. “I would love that.” He brought out his wallet, taking out a business card and giving it to Taeyong. “Text me the name and I will call you to arrange that dinner.” Taeyong couldn’t bring himself to say anything, his eyes sparkling like a kid’s on a candy store. 

 

They got up to leave on their separate ways, the rest of the group was waiting for Taeyong after all. “Taeyong!” Said man turned when his name was called, smiling as he saw Taeil smiling widely. “How weird is this!” Taeyong knew laughed before agreeing. This whole encounter was weird after all, but the good kind of weird.

 

\--

 

The ride back from the temple was filled with the excited chatter of their group, making them feel like they arrived at their hotel in no time. The tour group disbanded once they reached the lobby, not without the guide reminding them about the other activities planned for their stay. 

 

They opted out of getting a ride in one of the golf carts, preferring to walk to their lodging. “It is not that far anyway.” Doyoung told them, linking arms with Jaehyun and walking ahead of them. Just as Ten was about to hold Johnny’s hand, Taeyong called for his older friend. All it took was one glance at Taeyong’s wide eyes for Ten to get the hint. “Don’t hoard my man for too long, okay?” Ten winked at them before he took out his phone to snap some pictures. 

 

Johnny had been Taeyong’s best friends even before they met the others, having known each other since Johnny first transferred to Seoul back in high school. He knew all about Taeyong, and Taeyong knew all about Johnny, specially what had happened with Taeil back in college. 

 

“What is so important that you had to-” “I ran into Taeil at the temple.” Johnny stopped dead on his tracks, his eyes bugging out almost comically and mouth agape. “Taeil? Moon Taeil?!” Taeyong rolled his eyes before he nodded rapidly. “The TA that broke your heart when he left for Hong Kong?” The shorter male pushed his friend, feeling his ears heating up. “Moon Taeil, the indie singer who had you doubt your relationship with-” “Yes, Johnny! That Moon Taeil! The only one we know, okay?!” Taeyong huffed before regaining his composure. “He gave me his number after I invited him to dinner.” 

 

Johnny snickered, elbowing Taeyong in a playful manner. “Look at you! Getting back out there.” The older wouldn’t say it out loud, there was no need, but he had worried about his friend shutting himself after what had happened with Yuta. “I know...it’s just that…” Taeyong let out a deep sigh, a shy smile betraying his nonchalant facade. “It has to mean something. We ran into each other so far away from home.” “With you finally single. “Exactly!” Johnny could practically see the sparkles coming out of Taeyong’s eyes, worrying his friend’s face would split in half with how wide he was smiling. “Still… I don’t want to get my hopes up.” Taeyong knew he had to come back to Earth, but a big part of him wished that his student self’s fantasy would come true. 

 

Apparently, the way to their lodging was longer than Doyoung had made it seem, and they found themselves walking for quite a bit. But time alone with Johnny was never bad. In fact, Taeyong had been wanting to ask his friend about what they had discussed back in Seoul. “So...what about you, Mr. Seo?” Johnny arched one of his brows, waiting for the shorter male to further elaborate. “Are you really planning on popping the question during this trip?” The shy smile that appeared on Johnny’s lips was more than enough to answer his question. 

 

Johnny had first mentioned his wish to marry Ten back when they were still in college. Taeyong and him had been lying on the rooftop of their dorm building, drinking lukewarm Hites after Hell week. “He is the one. I feel it.” Taeyong had snickered at his friend’s dreamy confession. “You’ve been dating for like...three months.” Johnny sighed, gripping the can with his hands. “But I know he is the one for me. I know it.” Taeyong just gave him another beer. 

 

He mentioned it again when they accompanied Jaehyun pick up Doyoung’s engagement ring. Johnny had stayed behind as they made their way to the exit, Jaehyun having pocketed the ring on the inside of his blazer. It wasn’t until they almost reached the car that they noticed Johnny was missing, so they had to go back into the store.

 

“Look, this is him. Does he look more like a rose gold type of person to you?” Johnny had his phone facing one of the salesladies, probably showing her photos of Ten. Taeyong had to pull him away from the counter, excusing themselves out of the store. “What were you trying to do there man?!” Taeyong asked his friend, confusion clear on his face. Johnny merely shrugged, sighing before getting into the car and starting the engine.

 

What his friends didn’t know was that Johnny actually went back to look at the engagement rings. Sadly, none of the ones he saw felt like  _ the ring.  _ He visited almost every jewelry shop he could find, only to walk out without a ring. 

 

It finally happened one day when he went out to get lunch with Hansol. They passed a small antique shop on their way back to the company, and a single glint was enough to catch Johnny’s attention. “Wait. I just have to…” The american man didn’t even finish what he was saying, going inside the shop and leaving a confused Hansol outside. 

 

“It was the ring, I just knew it.” Johnny whispered as he looked at Ten walking ahead of them, snapping pictures of everything he could find. “I just don’t know how could you keep it a secret from him for so long.” Ten was known for knowing what was up with everyone. “It’s my sixth sense.” The thai man always said, demanding his friends to start calling him Raven. 

 

“I want to do it before this trip ends. I just have to find the right time.” Johnny finally answered Taeyong’s question, hands going in his pockets. Ten called his boyfriend’s name, urging him to hurry up and take a photo with him.

 

\--

 

They finally made it back to their villa, not before going into a dead-end and having to walk back before going the right way. Doyoung already felt like he could jump into bed and sleep until the next day, but they had planned to go shopping after lunch and he didn’t have in him to cancel plans. “Babe are you okay?” Jaehyun’s cold hand pressing against his forehead felt amazing, making Doyoung whine and make grabby hand towards his husband. “Just tired…” Doyoung didn’t care if the two of them were sweaty because of the scorching Sun outside, he just wanted to be held by the man he loved. Luckily, Jaehyun was more than happy to comply to his husband’s wish. 

 

“I thought we said the living room was a neutral area.” Ten’s teasing voice came through the door. All of them looked as if they just ran a marathon with how sweaty they were, but Ten still looked prim and proper as he had when they first stepped out. The only sign that he had been under sun was the light golden sheen across his high cheekbones. “Hand are above the waist!” Jaehyun playfully defended himself, chuckling when Doyoung snuggled closer to him. 

 

It was nice to finally be able to bask in the wonder that was air conditioning on full blast, and it showed on how everyone’s moods improved within a few minutes of arriving. The group of friends decided on ringing up room service to bring them lunch before leaving for their shopping spree. Ten was in charge of ordering, his mother tongue flowing rapidly into the phone. 

 

Taeyong excused himself to his bathroom, wanting to take a quick shower before the food arrived. He was getting everything ready, even throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper, when Taeil’s business card slipped out of his jeans pocket. Taeyong picked it up and immediately felt his whole face heat up. He began to type a quick text, saying how weird their encounter was but that he was glad they ran into each other. He sent it before jumping into the shower and before he chickened out. 

 

The cool water felt nice on his overheated body, and Taeyong felt as if his body came back to life once he turned off the water and stepped out. He dried his body down with one of the hotel’s fluffy towels, getting his curiosity get the best of him as he unlocked his phone. His heart went from zero to a hundred when he saw two new messages from Taeil’s number. 

 

**From: Moon Taeil**

_ I know! What are the odds??  _

_ You have plans for tonight?  _

 

Even if the text was free from any emoticons, it still felt somewhat flirty to Taeyong, who hid his shy smile behind his hand. He still had to get himself dressed, but instead he sat down on the edge of the tub and typed back a reply. 

 

**To: Moon Taeil**

_ I’m going shopping with my friends. But no plans afterwards… _

 

**From: Moon Taeil**

_ You want to grab dinner with me? We can catch up!  _

 

Taeyong managed to put some clothes on before reading Taeil’s reply, pressing his phone to his chin as he pondered on what to answer. He unlocked the screen and quickly agreed to dinner with Taeil, pocketing his phone once he read a ‘Then it’s a date!’ in the older’s upcoming message. His heart couldn’t keep calm afterwards, and he knew his smile might give him away. But he couldn’t care less. 

 

It was the happiest he had felt in the past weeks.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> That's it for the first chapter! I was actually aiming to do a really long oneshot, but I figured that making it chaptered would be better [it would be 3 chapters long!] 
> 
> There are more backstories to come! And if you read the tags...then you may know what surprises are in the next chappies~ 
> 
> I didn't include who Yuta left Taeyong for, but it's Winwin. This little piece of info might be important if everything goes on the right direction. So stay tuned~!
> 
> Once again thank you so much for reading this! I truly appreciate every comment, kudos, and bookmarks <3
> 
> See you in the next chapter!!


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